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XIII. Further observations on the last stage of the larva of 

 Lycaena arion. By F. W. Frohawk, M.B.O.U., 

 F.E.S. 



[Read October 6th, 1915.] 



Plates L, LI. 



The following notes on the observations I have been 

 enabled to carry out under natural conditions, are entirely 

 due to the unlimited assistance which my friend Capt. 

 Purefoy has most kindly accorded me, by his very elaborate 

 and successful experiments carried out in the establishment 

 of a large collection of ants' nests, most carefully trans- 

 planted in his garden at East Farleigh, Kent. I may here 

 state that the bulk of the nests comprise chiefly a common 

 garden ant {Myrmica laevinodis) and the small yellow species 

 Donisthorpea Jiava. All the nests were transplanted last 

 April, so that when the experiments with L. arion were 

 started last August, both the nests and the whole of the 

 growth (consisting of wild thyme, Lotus corniculatus, etc.) 

 covering and surrounding the nests were thoroughly 

 established. These ant nurseries, as I may term them, are 

 absolutely in a natural condition for observation purposes, 

 which adds vastly to the interest of such research. Before 

 recording our observations, I should here wish to express 

 my sincere thanks to Capt. Purefoy for his kindness, and 

 also to Miss Ley, who has rendered invaluable help by her 

 untiring patience as an observer, as well as for her expert 

 management with the earlier stages of this remarkable 

 butterfly. 



The first important and very interesting news respecting 

 L. arion I received from Capt. Purefoy in a letter written on 

 August 9, stating he had seen at 5 p.m. the day before, a 

 laevinodis, who had milked the larva several times, suddenly 

 seize it bodily and rush off with it. After this good news 

 I arrived at East Farleigh on August 13 when Capt. Purefoy, 

 Miss Ley and myself made some very interesting obser- 

 vations that evening and again the following morning, 

 during which time we turned down four arion larvae, 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1915. — PARTS III, IV. (JUNE) 



